DULWICH 236-7 (50 overs), WORCESTER PARK 87 (18.1 overs)

An unbeaten century by Majeed Jehangir, his second hundred in successive weeks, set Dulwich up for an extraordinary 41 run victory in a rain-affected Ryman Surrey Championship match at Worcester Park last Saturday.

Dulwich chose to bat, but had lost three wickets for 35 when rain drove the players from the field after 12 overs. The rain continued for two hours, and it took a superhuman effort by the home groundsman and players to enable a resumption at 4pm. Under the 50/50 rules the Dulwich innings was to continue for the full 50 overs. Jehangir and Richard Farrow added 38 before Farrow, returning after injury, fell for 9 with the score on 73. James Balmforth concentrated on defence at first to ensure another wicket did not fall, but gradually accelerated to take his score to 26 in a partnership of 108 in 20.3 overs with Jehangir, their second century partnership in successive weeks. James Soulsby added 17 off 14 balls, scoring off every ball he received, and 46 runs came off the last five overs as Dulwich closed on 236-7. Jehangir’s contribution was 133 not out, made off only 142 balls, and takes his league aggregate to 743 at an average of 57.15.

Worcester Park were left with 20 overs to bat, with a target of 129. Skipper Rob Waite started positively, scoring 14 off 15 balls, but fell to Chris Lester with the score on 21 off 3.5 overs. Only six runs came off the next three overs before a remarkable last over by Lester produced two wickets plus a run out to reduce Worcester Park to 36-4 after eight overs, Lester finishing with 3-22 off his four overs. Joe Hill and Gary Marshall took the score to 50 before both fell to catches by Nick Storey in successive balls, off Zakir Rostami and Arun Mahey respectively. Only Scott Kent, with 21 off 12 balls, provided any further threat before falling to Mark Kelly with the score on 74. Jehangir then capped a fine all-round performance by taking 3-5 off 2.1 overs as Worcester Park were dismissed for 87 in 18.1 overs.

Dulwich’s victory keeps them in top place, and they will be hoping for a fifth consecutive win this Saturday at home to Leatherhead.

DULWICH 257-7 (50 overs), ESHER 219 (47.4 overs)

An excellent century by Majeed Jehangir set Dulwich up for a 38 run victory in their Ryman Surrey Championship Division 2 match at home to Esher last Saturday.

Dulwich chose to bat, but lost both openers in the first four overs with the score on 12. Jehangir was then joined by Nick Storey and together they saw off the early movement and then advanced their partnership to 103 off 25.2 overs. Storey fell for 39, off 76 balls, to be replaced by James Balmforth. The pair added 105 in 15 overs for the fourth wicket, taking the score to 220 when Jehangir fell for 125. His innings had taken 130 balls, with the last 75 coming off only 56. Balmforth had given Jehangir as much of the strike as he could while still scoring at a decent rate himself, and went on to reach 38 off 48 balls before being fifth out at 240 after 47 overs. Two more wickets fell as 17 runs came off the last three overs to take Dulwich to 257-7 after their 50 overs.

When Esher batted Dulwich got the start they wanted as two wickets for Mark Kelly and one for Chris Lester reduced their opponents to 24-3 in the ninth over. Esher responded with a fourth wicket stand of 121 in 23.4 overs between Sohail Ahmed and Charrun Gill. Sohail’s dismissal for 77, made off only 90 balls, sparked a collapse in which the last seven wickets fell for 74 runs in 15.1 overs. Gill fell for a defiant 41, made off 80 balls, and none of the remaining batsmen could give sufficient support to skipper Derek Lane, who finished on 37 not out off 39 balls. The wickets were shared among the Dulwich bowlers, with Kelly, Lester, Jehangir, Levi Olver and Soulsby finishing with two apiece.

Dulwich’s victory keeps them at the top of Division 2, and they will be hoping to maintain their position this Saturday when they visit Worcester Park.

An outstanding all-round performance from Gareth Cornick was not enough to save Dulwich from slipping to their second successive agonising two run defeat.

The game was a must-win for both sides. Dulwich linger just two points above the relegation zone, whilst defeat for bottom-placed Banstead would have seen them all but relegated.

Despite not winning since May, Dulwich 2nd XI began the day full of reasonable confidence; optimism buoyed by early events at the toss. Cricket Chairman Graeme Hough had made clear in a midweek pep-talk to all the sides that the opportunity to turn a poor season into an average one was still very manageable; skipper Richard Reid certainly took note and won his third toss of the season to (marginally) improve his distressing success rate.

Banstead were invited to make first use of a good looking pitch and quick outfield. After a flood of early runs allowed them to reach 31 in the sixth over, Dulwich’s openers Bobby Iftikhar and Zabeh Mohammed tightened up to restrict them to 46/0 after the first ten overs.

Iftihkar, in particularly, was very tidy. He picked up the first wicket when Pearce edged to Reid behind the stumps and bowled through nine overs, recording figures of 1-17. At the other end, the extra pace Mohammed was putting on the ball was used to effect by Banstead opener Offer, who found the boundary often early on. But Mohammed eventually found his line and produced the second wicket when Loosemore was bowled for a duck.

Dulwich’s former strike bowler James Bridgland was then brought into the attack, and he chipped away outside off stump for a few overs before removing the dangerous Offer for 50 with a short one that was hammered straight to Zakir Rostami at point; Rostami doing well to cling onto a ball that was savagely hit.

Gareth Cornick, who had earlier dropped Offer at slip, was meanwhile twirling his off spin away at the other end and made up or his earlier uncharacteristic flap by nabbing four wickets in the middle overs. The first – Banstead skipper Burns for 31 – thanks to an excellent example of how it should have been done by Stephen Hale at first slip.

From 105/4 at drinks, Banstead could only add 35 in the next 15 overs thanks to tight lines from Cornick and the excellent Rostami (1-22) for the loss of four wickets. Cornick finished his spell with excellent figures of 4-34 and Banstead were teetering at 140-8 with ten overs to go.

From there, Banstead came well back into the game through a combination of good batting, the helpful outfield and some average Dulwich bowling a fielding. A couple of chances to end the innings went begging, as Mohammed (1-54) and Bridgland (1-59) returned to complete the innings, with a brief cameo from Stuart Ferguson’s dibblers (0-24). 74 were added in the final ten overs by the Banstead tail – far more than Dulwich would have hoped or expected after their superb first 40 over performance, but still not an ungettable total on a good pitch.

Dulwich’s innings though was tempered, however, by the early loss of Hale (4) and Ferguson (6). James Siddle and Cornick had to therefore spend time ensuring no further quick loss of wickets ensued before gradually moving up a gear and taking Dulwich to 99/2 at drinks in the 25th over. This position of promise was punctured, though, when Siddle – who had played very nicely for 45 – bunted an innocuous full toss straight to mid off. Oliver Steward then entered and continued his poor form by calamitously running himself out for an 11 ball duck, shortly being followed back to the hatch by Andy Cornick (7) who was LBW playing back. Skipper Reid was next up and also chipped in with 7 before being bowled by the same bowler and Dulwich had crashed to 128/6.

A large proportion of Dulwich’s hopes now rested on Cornick and he responded in superb style, calmly making his way to a chanceless 50 with some typically well struck biffs. Rostami, his new partner, played a good anchor role, looking to find singles to give Cornick the strike. Gradually the score began to approach respectability again, though Dulwich remind slightly behind the required rate. As the final ten overs began it was pushing up to nine an over and, despite not finding the boundary as often as was required, Dulwich just about hung on courtesy of some frantic running.

With two overs to go Dulwich required 18, but immediately lost Rostami (20) and could only manage seven off the penultimate over. 12 to win off the final six balls brought back memories of the previous weeks’ crushing two run defeat against Reigate Priory. Bridgland, in the thick of the action in the final over last week, joined Cornick who missed out on the first delivery but then magnificently launched the second ball of the over for a huge six over long-on. Six were now required off four. The third ball was in a similar area, just inside Cornick’s arc, and he swung through the line again. This time the contact was not quite as sweet, and the ball cruelly dropped into the waiting hands of long off. Cornick, fighting a lone, fatigued battle, had fallen for 96.

Six required off three was still gettable, however. Bridgland swung at the next ball but missed. Another good ball was then scraped for a single leaving Zabeh Mohammed to hit the final ball for six to win the game. He made good contact, but couldn’t get under the ball and only two could be taken to long off. Dulwich, again dramatically and desperately, two runs short of the winning target.

With nearest rivals Ashtead also losing, however, Dulwich’s fate is still very much in their own hands. They face Weybridge at home next week, needing to pick themselves up and go again as they fight to survive with just three games remaining.

A fantastic innings of 97 by Simon May couldn’t quite push Dulwich past Reigate Priory’s stiff target in an important game towards the lower end of the 2nd XI Premier Division table.

Dulwich, going into the day third bottom and only two points above the drop zone, were seeking an important win as the league games reverted back to the straight 50/50 win-lose format after several weeks of toss-losing induced misery in the split 100 overs format.

Dulwich skipper Reid won/lost the toss (depending on at what stage during the day’s proceedings he was asked about it) and the Doggies chose/were asked to bowl first.

Reigate batted well to post a decent-looking target of 251 on an above-par Dulwich pitch. After Bobby Iftikhar (1-28) had made an early breakthrough – courtesy of the first of three good catches from the league’s self-proclaimed best slipper Gareth Cornick – Dulwich had to stay patient as two sizeable partnerships, comprising of 88 for the 2nd wicket and then 105 for the 3rd, saw Reigate reach 217/2 in the 42nd over. Dulwich did not do much wrong; but the odd catch went down, a few more wides than would have been expected were bowled and Reigate – especially their number three Irving – successfully cashed in against the four balls that were occasionally offered up. Even James Bridgland, in his new role as first change/Chris Harris-esque stock bowler, went for over five-and-a-half an over.

But, despite looking set to really unleash towards the end of the innings, Reigate were kept to just 34 in the final eight overs as Dulwich nabbed seven late wickets. First Mizra nibbled the again-unretired Allen Blackford’s off spin (1-57) through to keeper Reid for 57 and then Irving departed for a very good 99; the second of Cornick’s catches at first slip, this time off the bowling of Zakir Rostami. It was Rostami who really stemmed the Reigate advance in the final overs, picking up 4-38 off nine overs, showing excellent control to bowl full and fast at the death. Two run outs also indicated Dulwich’s fielders were staying committed to the last, despite a hard slog in the field, and Reigate ended up registering 251-9 in their 50 overs.

Chasing five an over and benefiting from local knowledge that dictates the new ball is often the most dangerous period of an innings at Burbage Road, Dulwich saw fit to work their way through the opening overs circumspectly. They reached 30 in the tenth over for the loss of just Andy Cornick (15) who had nibbled through to the keeper. A fantastic partnership then ensued between Stephen Hale and Simon May as the rate was upped slightly before Hale, who was starting to look very good, was snaffled at long-on for 37. At 101-2 in the 25th drinks were taken and vice-captain Gareth Cornick joined May. May’s innings was a spectacle of steady of accumulation interspersed with some hefty cutting and pulling and he was looking well in command of the Reigate attack. He and Cornick, who started slowly but soon found his range, put on a steady 102 run partnership as Dulwich, nearly matching Reigate run-for-run, took themselves to 203/2 in the 43rd.

With 49 required off the final seven, Dulwich were decent favourites. But the state of the game was changed dramatically in the 44th over as three quick wickets savage the Dulwich charge. First Cornick tried to guide one to third man, but didn’t steer wide enough of the keeper, and was caught for 38. Two balls later Oliver Steward (2) was a victim of the pitch as he was caught on the crease by a skidder and then, crucially, off the final delivery May chipped to mid off three short of what would have been a magnificent – and most likely match-winning – hundred. Two overs later and Dulwich were further in the mire when Rostimi (4) was bowled.

Having surrendered four wickets for just nine runs the pressure had hugely increased on the home team’s batsmen as Blackford and Reid tried to rescue the situation with some positive batting and running between the wickets. As the clock pushed past 8pm in the evening it was now becoming very dark. 229 was reached when Blackford was bowled trying to angle to third man. Bridgland joined Reid and a further 11 were accrued through some darkness-defying swinging and Dulwich were left needing 11 from the final over to nab the win.

A swing and a miss first ball made things difficult and, when Reid (11) was bowled next ball, the situation was looking lost. Zabeh Mohammed joined Bridgland and picked up two and then a single off the next pair of deliveries to leave eight needed off of two. Bridgland (11*), in the dark and miserable drizzle, heaved the next ball to the boundary for four to give brief hope, but the final delivery could only be squirted for two and Dulwich fell dramatically and disappointingly two short.

Failure to win here makes the trip to bottom-placed Banstead next week a must-win.

Dulwich 144-9 beat Old Colfeians 143-9 by 1 wicket

After successive defeats against Blackheath, Orpington, Old Elthamians and Sidcup, the 6th XI recorded their fourth win of the season at home to Old Colfeians.

Old Colfs won the toss and decided to bat, but were soon two wickets down thanks to good catches by Craig at mid-off and a stunning one-handed effort at first slip from Redmayne who was returning from long-term injury. Old Colfs’ no.3, Jagger, took the responsibility for the recovery, batting most of the 46 overs for his unbeaten 36. He blocked out for long periods but got his team to what proved a competitive total of 143/9 on a DSG wicket which was playing a bit up and down. Gratton at no.5 batted with him longest, timing the ball well through extra cover, until he was bowled by Ebert on 47. Witts was the pick of the Dulwich bowlers, with figures of 3-22 on debut. Craig and Ebert chipped in with 2-36 and 2-31 respectively.

Dulwich’s innings got off to a bad start: the top five all fell for single figure scores except Rice, but he soon followed Sealy (0), Ford (2), Redmayne (3) and Straker (1), scoring 13 before middling a long hop straight to mid-wicket. Old Colfs looked like favourites at this point but Witts at no.7 played a counter-attacking 29, hitting a series of huge fours over mid-wicket, to give Dulwich’s innings some impetus. With Witts in destructive mood, the pressure was off Ebert who passed 50 for the first time this season, the sweep being his most productive shot. After Witts was bowled, Ebert was well-supported by Wilkinson (8), with whom he’d shared wicket-keeping duties earlier in the day, although both were dismissed in quick succession and Hale (2) soon followed, leaving Dulwich nine down but needing only one to win. A one-wicket victory was sealed in the next over, an off-target delivery from mystery slow left-armer Pamment beating the keeper for Craig and JL to complete a bye which took the score to 144/9 off 41.1 overs. Skipper Hunt was the pick for Old Colfs with figures of 3-20, backed-up by Bahra (3-35), and Pamment (2-20).

@MitchamCC@DulwichHamletFC@OfficialTmufc@MitchamCC our u12s were disappointed that their 2017 game at Cricket Green was washed out; believe our u14s and u16s are playing you there this summer, looking forward to it. We should try and get a girls’ game on at a venue with such a proud history of hosting women’s cricket!

Please note that due to floor replacement at Dulwich College Sports Centre there are no indoor nets this Sunday, 18th March. We await confirmation about the 25th March. Keep an eye on e-mails and website.

@PROACTIVE_Swk@lb_southwark Exciting times as all four teams in the semifinals hail from south of the river (Richmond sort of as it’s both sides of the river). Southwark play Greenwich and Bromley take on Richmond.....

In south London? Like cricket? Lewisham cricket winter training resumes tomorrow, ages 8-14, any level, all welcome, new players particularly so. Very nice set of coaches. Based in SE6. @ me for full details